5 comments:

It's hard to take seriously any "Top 25" list that ranks Boont Amber number two!

And while I echo your love for Russian River, Damnation, Rejection, and OVL Stout are not their best beers. Beatification, Supplication, Temptation, Depuration, Toronado's 20th, Compunction, Redemption, Sanctification, either of the Pliny's, and Blind Pig IPA are all better than any of those three!

I'm glad you write your blog and I think you're an excellent writer but man, I really disagree with your beer reviews.

Matt, sounds like you're a sour beer/big beer partisan, and are too manly for a wuss beer like Boont Amber. Hey, that's cool. I've reviewed most of the RR beers you mention and for the most part have loved them; the whole "ranking" thing is 100% subjective and is totally my thing. You're free to disagree. Just don't knock the Boont when you're in MY house.

Jay, I really like your list, except the Boont Amber almost at the top, :). Must be something special with you and your Boont:s!

And what can you do with tryi to list beers from all over the world when you create your own world list, when the US ones simply are the best! Anyway, as long as you like brews with distinctive flavours and hops, US is number one, probably not most balanced in the world but they taste something and they taste lot of everything.

There are so many good beer around the world, but when you do your own list you always have to calculate on the fact what you can actually get hold of at your local store and your favorite pub and what you have recently tested.

Man, I respect your reviews and love your blog, but am dumbfounded that Pliny the Elder doesn't make the list but Lagunitas Freakout, which is glorified homebrew swill with a Frank Zappa label slapped on it does. Go figure. Well, in no particular order, except fohttp://www.toronado.com/r Pliny at the top, I'd include iin my list: Plinty the Elder, Stone Ruination, Stone 10th Anniversary IPA, Moylan's Double IPA (waaaay better than the Hopsikle), Racer 5, Three Floyds Alpha King, Three Floyds X Anniversary (lucked into this purely due to a well-timed visit to Chicago, would love to get more), Port Hop 15, Green Flash West Coast IPA,Green Flash Imperial IPA, Russian River Blind Pig IPA, Port Swami IPA, Port Old Viscosity, Alesmith IPA, Alesmith Yulesmith, Avery 14th Anniversary, Port 547 Haight. Russian River Damnation, Port Wipeout, Houblon Chouffe, Duchesse de Bourgnone, Drake's Rodger's Last Stand, Moonlight Bombay By Boat IPA, Stone Imperial Russian Stout, Stone Arrogant Bastard, Marin Brewing White Knuckle Double IPA, Stone IPA, Deschutes Black Butte Porter, Lagunutas Freak Out, and for old times sake Guiness Stout. Crap, that's way more than 30. Don't drink and comment. And I have underrepresented the nation of Belgium, whose populace can not only brew amazing beers, but are also good at clapping (according to my namesake, at the recent Wilco show at the Greek).]

Major honorable mention to the version of Moylan's White Christmas from about five years ago. This beer used to be one of my absolute favorites in the days before Pliny, but then Moylan's switched from a hoppy brew to a spiced Belgian style, which is okay but not nearly as good. Kinda like getting socks for Christmas...